caprice

ca·price

noun \kə-ˈprēs\

Definition of CAPRICE

1

a : a sudden, impulsive, and seemingly unmotivated notion or action

b : a sudden usually unpredictable condition, change, or series of changes <the caprices of the weather>

2

: a disposition to do things impulsively

3

: capriccio 3

Examples of CAPRICE

1. the caprices of the weather
2. Employees have complained of being at the mercy of the manager's every whim and caprice.
3. policy changes that seem to be motivated by nothing more than caprice
4. … Montana's “Durum Triangle,” where the caprice of microclimates has led farmers to complain not of floods but of drought. —Florence Williams, New Republic, 16 Aug. 1999
5. But Castro has his army and his secret police and a reputation for ferocious caprice, and so he can make a whole people dance to his dementias. —Jack Beatty, Atlantic, January 1987
6. I'm allowing about ten days between here and the U.S.A. (that may be too much or too little, depending on the caprice of the Italian mails). —James Wright, letter, 28 May 1979

Origin of CAPRICE

French, from Italian capriccio caprice, shudder, perhaps from capo head (from Latin caput) + riccio hedgehog, from Latin ericius — more at head, urchin

First Known Use: 1667

Related to CAPRICE

Synonyms

bee, whim, crank, fancy, freak, humor, kink, maggot, megrim, notion, vagary, vagrancy, whimsy (also whimsey)

Related Words

capriciousness, fancifulness, fantasy (also phantasy), freakishness, impetuosity, whimsicality; conceit; concept, conception, image, impression, mind's eye, picture, thought; brainstorm, inspiration

Near Antonyms

levelheadedness, practicality, reasonability, reasonableness; fastness, firmness, fixedness, immovability, immovableness, immutability, inflexibility, invariability; changelessness, constancy, stability, steadfastness, steadiness

Synonym Discussion of CAPRICE

caprice, whim, vagary, crotchet mean an irrational or unpredictable idea or desire. caprice stresses lack of apparent motivation and suggests willfulness <by sheer caprice she quit her job>. whim implies a fantastic, capricious turn of mind or inclination <an odd antique that was bought on a whim>. vagary stresses the erratic, irresponsible character of the notion or desire <recently he had been prone to strange vagaries>. crotchet implies an eccentric opinion or preference <a serious scientist equally known for his bizarre crotchets>.

Rhymes with CAPRICE

apiece, at peace, Burmese, camise, cassis, cerise, chemise, Chinese, Cochise, codpiece, coulisse, crosspiece, decease, decrease, degrease, Dumfries, earpiece, eyepiece, fieldpiece, grandniece, hairpiece, headpiece, heelpiece, increase, lend-lease, Maltese, Matisse, Maurice, mouthpiece, nosepiece, obese, one-piece, pastis, pelisse, police, re-lease, release, seapiece, set piece, shankpiece, showpiece, sidepiece, stringpiece, sublease, surcease, tailpiece, think piece, timepiece, toepiece, three-piece, two-piece, valise, wool grease, workpiece